Apparatus for curing or artificially aging cigars.



G. E. GOLDSTEIN.

APPARATUS FOR'CURING OR ARTIFICIALLY AGING CIGARS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20,1914- L Patented May 4, 1915.

GEORGE E. GOLDS'I'EIN, F MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

APPARATUS FOR CURING OR ARTIFICIALLY AGING CIGARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented'May t, 1915.

Application filed. June 20, 1914. Serial No. $6,294.

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. Gonns'rnm, of the city of Montreal, in theProvince of Quebec and Dominion of Canada, a citizen of the Dominion ofCanada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatusfor Curing or Artificially Aging Cigars, of which the following is afull,-

I 11, air circulating fan 12 and r 5 tank 13 are provided in thepassage9, as;

clear, and exact description.

ThlS inventlon relates to improvements in apparatus for curing orartificially aging cigars or other forms of manufactured tobacco, andthe object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which willoperate automatically to maintain the proper temperature, humidity andcirculation of the air coming in contact with the cigars.

The device consists essentially of a double walled chamber within whichthe cigars are stored. The inner wall is perforated, and air heating,humidifying and circulating means are provided in the space between theinner and outer walls of the chamber, so that the air is drawn fromwithin the inner wall into the space between the inner and outer walls,brought to proper temperature and moisture, and redelivered within theinner wall. An electric thermometer and hygrometerare provided withinthe inner wall' -wall inclosing a chamber 7 for the storage of cigars.At the front of the chamber, in which is provided a door 8, and at thesides, the inner and outer walls may coincide, but it is essential thatat back, top and bottom, a passage 9 be left for the circulation of air.At to and bottom, the inner wall 6 is 'provi ed with apertures 10throughwhich the air passes from the into the chamber.

At the rear of the chamber, aheatin coil circulation passages clearlyshown in the drawings. .The heating coil is connected to a heater 14provided with a feed tank 15 for'supplying water and maintainingpressure for circulation. The

fan 12 is operated preferably by electric current drawn from the mains16. The humidifyingtank 13 contains an electric heating element 17operated by current drawn from one of the mains 16 through wire 18 andreturned to the opposite main through wire 19. i

Within the chamber 7, an electric thermometer or thermostat 20 and anelectric hygrometer 21 are provided, each having a fixed and a movingcontact. The thermometer and hygrometer are electrified by current froma battery 22, and according as they make or break the battery circuitsoperate relay 23 and 24 respectively. The relay 23 is arranged to openand close the circuit of the heater 17, and the relay 24 is arranged toopen and close the circuit of an electrically operated-valve 25 locatedbetween the heater 14 and coil 11. The fan 12 is operated by currentilowing from and to the mains through wires 26. Current ,flows from thebattery through the wire 27 to both thermometer and hygrometer, and

from the thermometer through wire 28 to .the relay 23, and from thehygrometerv.

through wire 29 to the relay 24, and from the relays back to the batterythrough wire 30. Current fiows from the main 16 through wires 18 and 18to the heater 17 and valve- 25, and returns through "the armatures ofthe relays and wires 31 and 31.

The operation of the device, is extremely simple. If the humidity risesabove the set limit of variation, the instrument 21 makes contact, whichenergizes the'magnetof the relay to draw up its armature, and thus breakthe circuit of the heater 17. When the humidity drops below a certainpoint, the battery circuit through the relay is broken and the relayarmature drops, clos- ";ing the heater'circuit- It the temperature risesbeyond the set limit of variation thebattery circuit through the relay 23 is made and the armature. is drawn up, makin the circuit of thevalve23, which closes. an cuts off the "supply of heat to the coil ll'.When the temperature drops sufliciently, the circuit through the relayis broken by the thermostat, and when the, relay releases its armature,the valve circuit is opened and the valve opens, admitting heat to thecoil. The

fan operates continuously, forcing the warm humid air up and allowing itto enter at the top of the chamber 7, and work downwardly through thecigars, escaping at the bottom into the passage 9 to be again drawn upby the fan through the coil 11 and reheated and rehumidified.

While the invention has been shown in its simplest form, itis obviousthat a number of changes may be made in the apparatus as required tomeet special conditions. If electricity or fiuid' fuel are used for theheater 14, the valve 25 will be arranged to control the supply of theheating agent.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A device of thecharacter described, comprising a double Walled chamber having the innerwall thereof formed imperforate at opposite sides, an air heating coil,a water tank, and an air circulating fan located between the inner andouter Walls, means for heating and circulating fluid through said athermometer and a hygrometer located within the chamber, means forcontrolling v the temperature and supply of fluid through said radiator,a source of electric energy for said heater, said fan and saidcontrolling means, a battery, a relay in circuit with the battery andthermometer arranged to govern the connection of said heating fluidcontrolling means with the source of energy, and a second relay incircuit with the battery and hygrometer arranged to govern, theconnection of said electric water heater with the source of energy.

In witness whereof, I have hereuntoset my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

Witnesses S. R. W. ALLEN, G. M. MORELAND.

